Kevin Farias: Minnesota Man Accused of Ocala Forest Murders

Kevin Farias, a Minnesota man, is accused of murdering his girlfriend and their 1-year-old child by shooting them to death in the Ocala National Forest in Florida.

The victims, Jessica Johnson, 32, and their daughter, Gabriela Farias, were from Wisconsin, according Ocala.com. According to the Marion County Sheriff’s Department, the suspect’s full name is Kevin Benjamin Olesen Farias. Farias is in critical condition. Faris is 27-years-old, according to authorities. Some news accounts give Johnson’s age as 32.

Here’s what you need to know:

Farias, Johnson & Gabriela Were Discovered in the Forest With Gunshot Wounds

The crime scene

A passerby discovered all three shot in the forest. “Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) Major Crimes detectives are investigating what appears to be a murder-suicide incident in the Ocala National Forest,” a press release from the Sheriff’s Department said.

“Deputies responded to the area of Forest Road 88, approximately 2 miles north of East State Road 40 after receiving a call from a passerby that discovered the scene at 10:52 a.m. today. Deputies located an adult female and a toddler-aged female both deceased from an apparent gunshot wound. Also at the scene was an adult male suffering from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound but still alive. He was taken to an area hospital and is listed in critical condition at this time.

The sheriff’s department said the shooting “appears to be a murder-suicide incident.” Authorities have not yet specified w what the motive for the slayings was because the case is still under investigation. They say she lived in Holmen, Wisconsin. Her name was also given as Jessica L. Johnson.

The Sheriff’s Department Identified Kevin Faris as the Alleged Shooter

In a post made to its Facebook page, the Marion County Sheriff’s Department identified Kevin Farias as the shooter of Johnson, Gabriela Farias, and himself.

“The victims of yesterday’s shootings have been identified,” the department wrote. “27 year old Kevin Benjamin Olesen Farias from Minnesota has been identified as the shooter and is still listed in critical condition at an area hospital following a self-inflicted gunshot wound. His victims have been identified as 32 year old Jessica Johnson from Wisconsin and their daughter, 1 year old Gabriela Farias.”

In a previous statement, the Sheriff’s Department wrote, “Currently, MCSO detectives are investigating a suspicious death near Forest Road 88. Two people are deceased and a third one has been taken to an area hospital in critical condition. Detectives say that they are not looking for anyone at this time and that there is no threat to the public. This appears to be an isolated incident. Detectives are not releasing the names of those involved at this time. As we get new information we will keep you updated.”

Online records show that Farias has lived in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. However, authorities say he was living in Waconia. His Facebook page has been deleted. A Twitter page that appears to use a variation of his name has tweets on it that date back to 2014 and focus mostly on pranks and jokes. The page only has 18 followers.